Method of forming shingle strips



Jan. 12, 1932, R w YEAGER 1,840,997

METHOD OF FORMING SHINGLE STRIPS Original Filed April 16, 1924 INVENTOR FRANK 14 YEAGER ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 12, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRANK W. YEAGER, OF GBANTWOOD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOB TO THE BARRETT COK- PANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY amazon 0]! FOBMIN G SHINGLE STRIPS Original application filed Apri1 18,

1924, Serial No. 706,885. Divided and this application flied December 27, 1928. Serial No. 328,743.

This invention relates to a shingle strip and methods of manufacturing the same.

The present application is a division of my co-pending application, Serial No. 706,835, dated April 16, 1924, and relates moreparticularly to the method of forming a shingle strip having tabs or projections along one edge which simulate the appearance of individual shingles when laid upon a roof. The strip may be conveniently cut out from a sheet of roofing material which comprises a felt or fibrous base saturated with waterproofing material such as asphalt, for example, and coated with a layer of plastic bltuminous material such as asphalt, for example, upon which a layer of wear-resistmg material such as metal, crushed stone, slate or the like may be applied. Heretofore in forming so-called multistrip shingles from sheets of roofing material the strips have been so formed that when installed upon a roof a monotonous appearance is produced due to the fact that the tabs or projections are alike, By the present invention this objection is overcome and a roof may be laid which has a variegated appearance thus increasing its attractiveness. The invention will be understood from the description in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 shows one method of cutting the multi-shingle from a strip of roofing material, and Fig. 2 shows an alternative method of cutting this multishingle from a strip of roofing material.

In the drawings reference charactenl 1I 1 dicates a strip of roofing material Whlch is indicated as a strip sufiiciently wide to produce two series of rows of shingle strips although wider sheets of roofing material may be employed thus producmga correspondingly larger number of series of shingle strips. The strip 1 is slotted to form slots 2, 3, 4, 5, etc., some of these slots being wider than others and the slots belng cutat different distances apart so that the pro ections or tabs between the respective slots variy in width. The strip 1 is also cut or slit a ong lines 6, 7, 8, 9, etc., which lines intersect the strip between the slots. These llnes 6, 7, 8 and 9 may be at different distances from the longitudinal median line of the shingle strip. In the particular illustration shown the line 8 is midway between the edges of the strip 1, the lines 7 and 9 are to one side and the line 6 is to the other side of the middle line. In this way tabs or projections are formed on the respective shingle strips which tabs differ somewhat in length and also some of the tabs on one shingle strip differ from corresponding tabs upon the strip which faces it in the sheet 1. N 0 tab exceeds the length of another one on the strip by an amount as great as the length of a tab and no tab is spaced from an adjacent one a distance as great as the width of the narrowest one. The slots 2, 3, 4, etc. may be altered by sloping lines 10, 11 and 12 so that some of the tabs will be slightly pointed or have their corners out off as indicated in the drawing and the ends of the shingle strips are severed from each other along lines 13 at intervals, these lines extending from the edge of the strip 1 to one of the transverse slots.

Fig. 2 shows an alternative preferred method for cutting a multi-shingle from a strip of roofing material. It has been found in practice that when the cutting knives are arranged to form an acute angle with each other they break in operation and frequent shut-downs of the shingle cutting machine to replace the knives are necessary. By arranging the knives to eliminate acute angles and have them form obtuse and/or right angles the effective life of the knives is prolonged and frequent stoppage of the machine because of broken or impaired knives is eliminated.

Fig. 2 shows how a multi-shingle may be cut with a roll or other cutter having the knives thereon arranged to eliminate acute angles, i. e., by having the knives arranged to form only obtuse and right angles. In this figure reference numeral 11' indicates a strip of roofing material sufficiently wide to produce four series of rows of shingle strips, although wider or narrower sheets of roofing material may be employed, thus producing a correspondingly larger or smaller number of series of shingle strips. The strip 11 is slotted or cut to form a series of slots 20, 30, 40, 50,

and a corresponding series of slots 21, 31 and 41, etc., some of these slots being wider than others and the slots being cut atvarying or different distances apart so that the projections or tabs defined and formed by the respective slots vary in width.

The strip is also cut or slit along lines 6, 7, 8, 9, etc., which lines intersect the strip between the slots as is the case in the method of cutting this shingle disclosed in Fig. 1. The lines 6, 7 8 and 9, may be at different distances from one edge of the strip 11 and may be staggered with respect to each other. In the particular illustration shown, the lines 6, 7 and 8 are staggered longitudinally with respect to each other and line 9 is positioned in substantially the same straight line as is line 7.

' The line or slit 6 connects the slots 50 and 21 to form a rectangular tab 24 on the shin-' gle strip 12. This line also connects the slit 51 with an inclined slot defined by lines 22 and 23 to form the tab 25, which has the corners clipped off as indicated by the lines 51 and 22. Aninclined slot defined by the lines 32 and 33 is formed connecting the slots and 31. The slot defined by lines 32 and 33 and the slot defined by lines 22 and 23 are connected by the line 7 to form a rectangular tab 35 of greater width than tab 24 and a tab 34 having the corners clipped off, as indicated by the lines 23, 32. Similarly, tabs and are formed on the strip shingle 13' and tabs 44 and 54 are formed on the strip shingle 12'.

It will be noted that in this way tabs or projections are formed on the respective shingle strips, which tabs differ somewhat in length and also some of the tabs on one shingle strip (13) differ from corresponding tabs upon the strip (12') which face it in the sheet 11' during the cutting operation. No tab exceeds the length ofanother one on the strip by an amount as great as the length of the tab and no tab is spaced from an adjacent one a distance as great as the width of the narrowest one. It will also be noted that the slots 21, 31 and 41 are not formed in longitudinal alignment with the slots 20, 30 and 40, respectively, but are staggered or formed to one or the other side of the slots 20, 30 and 40 depending on the shape and dimensions of the tabs it is desired to produce. Further, the slots or cuts are so arranged that in order to produce this-shingle strip the kIliVGS on the cutter are positioned to form only right and obtuse angles and no two knives are so related that an acute angle is formed, i. e. line 6 forms obtuse angles with 51 and 22 and right angles with 50 and slot 21, similarly line 7 forms right angles with slots'20 and 30 and obtuse angles with 23 and 32, etc.

The only waste of material that occurs when the mutli-shingles are cut out as above described is that which comes out of the slots and these multi-shingles may be installed in the usual way thus avoiding the mechanical or monotonous appearance that usually char-' acterizes roofs. of this sort. By having several tabs or projectionsof various types attachedtogether it is practicable to install the same and procure the variegated effect while avoiding the difficulty of packaging various types of individual shingles and appropriately distributing them upon a roof t9 procure a similar effect. The various types and sizes of tabs insures appropriate distribution on the roof and further variety may be obtained by starting horizontal courses at different points, always taking care that joints are broken and that slots in successive courses are not superimposed. It is obvious that shingle strips of different colors may be interspersed on a roof thereby providing a greater variety in appearance. s r

I claim:

1. The method of forming strip shingles having tabs along one longitudinal edge thereof which comprises cutting like shingles simultaneously in pairs from the sheet involving forming a row of spaced slots of different widths in a strip of roofing material to form the side edges of the tabs on the pair of shingles, adjacent slots of said row being spaced from each other a distance equal to the width of the intervening tab and cutting said roofing'material transversely along staggered lines extending between said slots to separate the shingles and form tabs of different lengths, and utilizing the entire sheet except for the portions cut out in the formation of the slots between adjacent tabs.

2. The method of forming strip shingles having tabs along one edge thereof which comprises cutting like shingles simultaneously in pairs from a sheet involving forming a series of slots in the sheet, said slots being spaced at varying distances each from the other to form tabs of varying width on the individual members of the pair of shingles, intersecting said slots along staggered lines to separate said pair of shingles and to form tabs of different lengths on the individual members of said pair of shingles and utilizing substantially the entire sheet except for the portions cut out in the formation of the slots between adjacent tabs.

3. The method of forming strip shingles having tabs along one edge thereof which comprises forming two series of spaced slots in a sheet, the individual slots of each series being of different Widths to form tabs of varying width, the slots of one series being spaced in staggered relation with respect to the slots of the other series, the two series of slots being connected by inclined slots at obtuse angles to the individual slots of both of said series of slots, and intersecting the individual slots of said two series of slots along lines extending between said slots, said inclined and intersecting slots defining the forward edges of the tabs.

4. The method of forming strip shingles having tabs along one edge thereof which comprises forniin two series of slots in a sheet, the slots 0 both series being spaced at varying distances each from the other to define the sides of the tabs and to form tabs of varying widths, the slots of one series being spaced in stag ered relation with respect to the slots 0% the other series and connected by slots at obtuse angles to the individual slots of both series, and intersecting the first mentioned slots along staggered lines at right angles thereto to define the edges of the tabs.

5. The method of forming strip shingles having tabs along one edge thereof which comprises forming two series of slots, the slots of each series being of different width andthe slots of one series being spaced in staggered relation with the corresponding slots of the other series, the corresponding slots of both series being connected by inclined slots to form tabs of varying width, and intersecting said slots by staggered lines at right angles to both series of slots and at obtuse angles to said inclined slots to form tabs of Varying length.

In witness whereof, my hand.

I have hereunto set FRANK W. YEAGER. 

